After finishing her performance of “She’s Country,” Ryan Seacrest mentioned that Maddie wasn’t feeling too great at the time, owing to an undisclosed illness. To Maddie’s credit, she attempted to downplay the illness so as not to use it as a play for sympathy, but it turns out her illness was actually far more severe than the colds and soar throats that tend to plague singers on shows like this. Semifinalist Savion Wright tweeted out a photo that told the story:

There’s no indication that this is going to affect Maddie’s place in the competition, although there is precedent in such shows as The X Factor UK where a sick contestant has been able to receive a bye to the next week, provided that voting patterns indicate they weren’t likely to be at risk. It happened for Lucy Spraggan, Diana Vickers and Miss Dynamix in recent seasons, and while it hasn’t been implemented on American shores, it wouldn’t surprise me if Maddie was a popular enough vote-getter to earn a free week, especially since it’s so damn early in the competition. Granted, my speculation is mostly centered on the concern that she might not have been able to rehearse for her performance this week as much as the other contestants. All indications are that she’s on the road to a full recovery, so I’m guessing she’s a sure-thing for this week’s show. You know, provided she gets enough votes to be one of the 10 singers to perform. Either way, get well soon, Maddie!